*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Leroy Huggins
Appearances: 12+1 Goals: 4
Date / Year of birth: 29th May 1976
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 2009/10
Season of last appearance: 2009/10
Also played for: Crockenhill, Erith & Belvedere, Fisher Athletic, Crawley Town, Gravesend & Northfleet, Bromley, Tonbridge Angels, Maidstone United, VCD Athletic, Erith Town, Chatham Town, East Thurrock United and East Grinstead Town
Striker who began his career with Kent League club Crockenhill before moving on to Erith & Belvedere in August 1997.
Leroy made his debut for the Deres in a 2-2 draw at Yate in the Southern League Southern Division on 20.9.97 but only played once more before returning to Crockenhill.
He spent the remainder of the 1997/98 season with the Crocks and Leroy then scored over 20 goals for the club during 1998/99.
In the summer of 1999 he signed for Fisher and Leroy went on to spend around 18 months with the club. At the start of the 2000/01 campaign he scored eight goals in Fisher's first 13 matches of the season and on 28.8.00 he was in the side that lost 5-0 at Margate in the Southern League Premier Division. The Isle of Thanet Gazette's report on the game described Leroy as being "skilful and dedicated".
In February 2001 he moved on to Crawley and Leroy scored the winner nine minutes into his debut for the Sussex club as they beat Moor Green 1-0 in the Southern League Premier Division.
In the summer of 2001 Leroy rejoined Fisher and top scored for them during 2001/02 with a total of 21 goals. He also spent the 2002/03 season with the Fish.
In August 2003 he signed for Conference outfit Gravesend & Northfleet and featured in their first two matches of the 2003/04 campaign before moving to Bromley in September 2003.
Leroy scored eight goals for the Isthmian League Division 1 South club and then left Bromley to join Tonbridge in December 2003.
He scored three times in only four outings for the Southern League Eastern Division side before starting a third stint with Fisher in February 2004.
In August 2004 Leroy went back to Bromley for a second spell and he sometimes played alongside future Margate striker Mark Watson there. Leroy scored three times in 12 Division 1 South appearances (one as sub) and also found the net four times in cup ties before rejoining Tonbridge early in 2005.
He started his second stint with the Angels by scoring five times in 18 outings before the end of 2004/05 and Leroy then scored six goals from 38 appearances (11 as sub) for Tonbridge during the 2005/06 season before being released in March 2006.
He joined Kent League outfit Maidstone for the remainder of the campaign and after scoring on his debut Leroy bagged a hat-trick in only his third game for the club as the Stones beat Sporting Bengal 9-0 on their way to winning the Kent League title. He stayed with Maidstone for the start of the 2006/07 season and scored once from five Isthmian League Division 1 South outings (three as sub) before dropping back to the Kent League to join VCD in October 2006.
Leroy went on to score 23 times for the Vickers during the remainder of 2006/07 and his tally included the only goal as they beat visitors Margate 1-0 in the Kent Senior Cup on 8.11.06. He also turned down an offer to join Isthmian League Premier Division club Horsham during the season.
Leroy scored 19 times for VCD during 2007/08 and then found the net 21 times during the 2008/09 campaign before adding another 13 goals during 2009/10 to take his overall record to 76 goals from 154 outings.
On 9.3.10 Leroy signed for Margate and VCD manager Paul Foley, a former Margate player, said "We are obviously disappointed to lose someone of Leroy's calibre but having spoken to him a couple of times since the formal approach was made, we both agreed he would be mad to turn down the opportunity."
Leroy made his debut in an Isthmian League Premier Division game against Tooting & Mitcham at Hartsdown Park on the same day that he joined the club and headed the winning goal from a Dan Stubbs cross to earn Margate a 2-1 victory. Manager Iain O'Connell told the Isle of Thanet Gazette that Leroy brought the side "new strength up front" and added "He's excellent in the air, holds the ball up well and he also scores goals, as he showed. He played against us when I was with Great Wakering and was outstanding. I told him what fantastic support the club have and on Tuesday they were chanting his name after the game."
Leroy dramatically made it back-to-back goals with an injury-time strike in his next outing that gave Margate a 2-1 win at Billericay on 13.3.10 and the Thanet Times said that despite not being "the biggest bloke in the world" he "gave 6ft 5in defender Chris Wild a torrid time in the air". Leroy then scored for the third game in a row as Margate drew 1-1 with visitors Sutton on 16.3.10 and after two matches without a goal he took his tally to four in a 1-1 draw at Boreham Wood on 27.3.10. It turned out to be Leroy's last goal for the club and after a 1-0 win over Hastings at Hartsdown Park on 24.4.10 saved Margate from relegation he asked to be released. Leroy had scored four times in 13 outings (one as sub) and Iain O'Connell told the Thanet Times "It wouldn't have been my choice to lose Leroy but he has found it difficult due to work commitments. I'd like to thank him for the great effort he put in while he was with us and wish him all the best for the future."
In May 2010 Leroy signed for Kent League club Erith Town although at that time they had briefly been renamed Erith & Dartford Town before opting to drop the new name in July 2010. He spent a few months with Erith and then moved on to Chatham in October 2010.
Leroy was reunited with his old VCD manager Paul Foley at Chatham and scored six times in 13 appearances (one as sub) for the Isthmian League Division 1 South outfit before joining East Thurrock in January 2011.
He finished the 2010/11 campaign with the Essex club but Leroy failed to score from eight Division 1 North outings (five as sub) for East Thurrock and he was released at the end of the season.
In June 2011 he signed for Sussex County League Division 1 club East Grinstead and Leroy scored two goals there before rejoining VCD early in September 2011.
In March 2012 he returned to Erith Town and Leroy scored once from four appearances (one as sub) for the Kent League outfit but then left the club early in April 2012 and retired from senior football.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
||
|
2009/10 (MFC) |
12 (51) |
1 |
4 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
3R |
QF |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||